Sunday, September 8, 2013

Mayhem and Stout

New, very small place in Murray Hill (easy to miss) gets very good reviews indeed

Mayhem & Stout

4.0 star rating
14 reviews Rating Details
Category: Sandwiches  [Edit]
711 Second Ave
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 986-1600
Nearest Transit Station:
Grand Central - 42 St. (7, 7X)
Grand Central - 42 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
33 St. (4, 6, 6X)
Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Parking:
Street
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
No
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
No
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Lunch
Alcohol:
No
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
No
Caters:
Yes
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14 reviews in English

  • Review from

    Hoboken, NJ
    8/23/2013 1 check-in here
    I might blow off a birthday dinner tonight to go back for more sandwiches. Absolutely out of control...

    Brisket & short rib with onions and horseradish has me excited Jewish holidays are so early this year just to play with the leftovers.  (Dad said "best brisket sandwich he's ever had.  Dad is 63 and a skeptic of anything listed in Time Out.)  The bread was just crusty enough, the sauce softened the inside just enough, the onions provided just the right touch of sweetness, and the meat was just enough but not too much and SO freakin' good.

    The pulled pork, dragon sauce, and spicy slaw, on the other hand, had just the right amount of heat in the sauce and the slaw, with just the right amount of crunch from the slaw, and of course, the pulled pork was awesome too.

    The little cup of pickles is worth $2 and is a nice sweet/sour contrast so you can re-appreciate each bite.  Anyone who says their sandwiches aren't worth $9 is crazy.  Pulled buffalo chicken, I'm coming for you next!
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    8/31/2013 1 check-in here
    Came here after seeing a few pretty convincing reviews. The great thing about this place is that it's right by where I live.

    Couple friends and I decided to grab dinner and I suggested this spot. No one had every heard of Mayhem and Stout, and truth be told, if I were not on Yelp, I probably wouldn't have either.

    Bottom line: This place makes a great sandwich.

    I had 2 half sandwiches, which were larger than I had anticipated. I didn't really trust my own ability to create a sandwich so I went with their suggestions. I had the pork with dragon sauce and the short rib with blueberry sriracha. Both sandwiches were pretty packed with meat. In the future, I might be able to do with just one half sandwich for a light meal. The meat was very flavorful even without the sauces. The slaw on the pork was crunchy and very refreshing. The short rib was also very tasty and the pickled onions were very well done.

    The only complaint I might have is that sometimes the sauces aren't very evenly distributed throughout the sandwich and when you get to an area without any sauce the meat can feel a little dry in your mouth. That being said, this is still an above-average sandwich.

    The prices are a little higher than most sandwich places but you're also getting a lot more meat. It works out to about $10 for a whole sandwich and $5 for a half. I personally enjoy the rolls that the half sammies come with more than the hoagies they use for the whole sandwiches.

    Will definitely be back  to try their other sandwich creations.

    P.S: They might do well to invest in some decent ventilation. The inside of the shop is pretty hot, stuffy, and smokey. I probably do exclusively take out or delivery.
  • Review from

    • 7 friends
    • 106 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/27/2013
    I loved the pulled chicken with hot sauce, bleu cheese sauce, and chopped celery. Like a delicious hot wing without the hassle! The roll was fantastic (though I ate it open-faced on just the bottom of the roll) - kind of a crunchy top and a super soft rest of the roll.

    I expected the brisket with horseradish and onion to be my favorite, but it was lacking something. The meat wasn't quite seasoned right, and the horseradish sauce had no kick.

    One pro is that the place has all the sauces and meats pre-made, so the sandwich assembly is super fast; I was eating my two different sandwiches within 2 minutes of ordering. I do wish the meat would be hotter, though ... it was "very warm" rather than "hot."

    For lunch, one half-sandwich would be plenty (and a good deal at $4.75 or $5.25). For dinner, I had two different half-sandwiches (both eaten with half the roll) and I was stuffed. I think with these rich sandwiches that a whole sandwich of any one type would just be too intense, so I recommend the half-sandwiches.

    The side of pickles was tasty, and I liked having a crunchy/acidic bite of pickle in between meaty/savory bites of sandwich. However, at $2 for a small container of generic sandwich pickles, I did feel like it was a rip-off.

    The restaurant is not somewhere I'd want to dine-in if I lived nearby, and every other customer who I saw there was getting their food to-go. The place was very small - just too tables - and air conditioned to the point of me shivering in my wool sweater on a hot summer day.
  • Review from

    • 14 friends
    • 48 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/27/2013 6 photos 5 check-ins here
    Mayhem & Stout opened on Second Avenue near 38th Street because, presumably, there was no space left south of 14th Street. I'm not sure if they decided to move here because they wanted to brilliantly change the neighborhood, but I fear they're going to have to in order to survive during the winter when we're less willing to venture too far. I've been going here for lunch and from arrival to departure, I'm usually the only one in the place. That's not a great signal so to keep this place around, you need to go here and here are three reasons why:

    1. They make the most tender, delicate slow braised meat sandwiches in the area. And unlike buying from Mayhem & Stout at food fests, these sandwiches can be bought in either half or whole size. To be honest, the half size is large enough for most. Each of these sandwiches is garnished lightly, usually with a sauce and one "add-on."

    2. The popular combinations make ordering a little easier. I've had three from this menu and they have all been satisfying.

    3. If you can't make it to the store, order delivery.

    You'll like Mayhem & Stout if you're here for lunch, you're not expecting any inspiring interior design, and you just want a solid, consistent sandwich. It'll be interesting to see how they weather the winter. I may have to buy warmer clothes.
    • Menu
    • Short rib and brisket with roasted kale and dragon sauce
    • Braised lamb shoulder with red Harissa, tahini aioli, and t…
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 10 reviews
    Brooklyn, NY
    9/6/2013
    WOW!  This place makes a tasty sandwich!

    I went for lunch and ordered to go.  I knew I wanted the braised short rib & brisket with pickled onion but was torn between the dragon sauce and the blueberry sriracha.  The staff was super helpful - first let me try both sauces, and when I still couldn't decide between the two, suggested I get both on the side.  I really liked the blueberry sriracha with the brisket.  Now I can't wait to go back and try another sandwich!
  • Review from

    • 89 friends
    • 415 reviews
    New York, NY
    8/18/2013 2 photos 1 check-in here
    Damn, that's tasty! I did not know of these guys in their nomadic, food fair days, but the new storefront on 2nd Avenue is a welcome find. Braised meat sandwiches are the thing here; chopped brisket, pulled pork, etc., served on a bun with your choice of sauce and toppings. I went with the brisket and short rib, topped with dragon (barbecue) sauce and spicy slaw.  DEE-licious and under $10.

    There's a Citi Bike dock across the street on 39th and 2nd, so ride on over and get some of this.
    • Meat puns.
    • This tasted much better than this looks.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    8/16/2013 8 photos 1 check-in here First to Review
    Finally, a storefront for these amazing sandwiches.

    Instead of hunting around food fests and outdoor markets in Brooklyn, now you can just head to Murray Hill for one of these incredibly satisfying sandwiches.

    A great thing about the new shop is that they now offer half sizes for the sandwiches. This makes it much easier to choose among the many great choices since you can try two different meats for the price and size of one sandwich.

    The other great thing about this location is that there are so many more choices now, including a section of "Popular Combinations" on the menu, which is key since you might not be able to come up with as good a result as they suggest with a number of the strange-sounding ingredients they have. For example, I got the suggested Short Rib & Brisket with Blueberry Sriracha and Pickled Onions ($5.25 for half size). It sounds odd, but the juicy, tender, braised meat pairs extremely well with the soft, delicious roll and the sweet blueberries.

    I also tried the half size of the Braised Pulled Chicken with Buffalo Vin, Bleu Cheese Aoili and Pickled Celery ($4.75). I may have even liked this one better - it was a juicy, delicious take on a buffalo chicken sandwich, but much tastier.

    They were already running smoothly on the first day they were open, turning out plenty of these great sandwiches. I would have liked to have some more good options for sides, other than just veggies, pickles and chips, but if you are in the mood for some of the most delicious braised meats and best-tasting sandwiches in the city, then definitely come here.
    • Storefront
    • Pulled Chicken popular combination (half size for $4.75)
    • Short Rib & Brisket with blueberry Sriracha (half size for …
  • Review from

    • 4 friends
    • 1 review
    Midtown East, Manhattan, NY
    8/29/2013 1 check-in here
    Had a pork shoulder sandwich there.
    Tasted great, love the dragon sauce and the spicy slaw !
  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 13 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/26/2013
    Hi,
    The food was awesome! I had the Whole Sandwich with Short Rib & Brisket, Horseradish Creme & Onion Confit.  The delivery was quick and when the delivery guy couldn't find my place he called for directions.  The sandwich was so good I wished it was a bit bigger. Great addition to Murray Hill! I'll be ordering from them  again tomorrow.

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